Seagate Medalist 3221 - hard drive - 3.2 GB - ATA-33

Description: The Seagate Medalist 3221 is a 3.2GB, desktop internal hard drive.Compared to other desktop internal hard drives on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $45.Compared to a typical hard drive, its maximum internal data transfer rate of 17.5 MBps is relatively slow (this is the rate at which the drive actually reads data from the disk surface).Its burst transfer rate is 33.3 MBps.This is a 5400 rpm drive and comes with a 128 KB buffer.

Pros: None noted, given available product data.

Cons: Has only a 3.2GB capacity.This is not out of line with the product's price, but is smaller than the average hard drive on the market today.Also, this hard drive has only a 128 KB buffer, which is smaller than some similarly priced hard drives.For example, the Seagate Maxtor DiamondMax 6800, a 6.5GB hard drive at around $40, has a 2MB buffer.

Suitability: For most desktop PCs, given its 3.5" form factor.

Value: In view of its very inexpensive price, this hard drive has good features for the money.

Suggestions: To find more about storage options for desktop, checkout CNET Reviews.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs, contact us.

• Manufacturer: Seagate Technology
• Part Number: ST33221A

• General

• Device Type Hard drive - Internal hard drive
• Width 4 in
• Depth 5.7 in
• Height 1 in
• Weight 1.3 lbs

• Hard Drive

• Form Factor 3.5" x 1/3H
• Capacity 3.2 GB
• Interface Type ATA-33
• Buffer Size 128 KB
• Compliant Standards S.M.A.R.T.

• Performance

• Drive Transfer Rate 33.3 MBps
• Internal Data Rate 17.5 MBps
• Seek Time 11 ms (average) / 19.8 ms (max)
• Track-to-Track Seek Time 1.3 ms
• Average Latency 5.6 ms
• Spindle Speed 5400 rpm

• Configuration

• Sectors per Track 63
• Bytes per Sector 512

• Reliability

• Mean time before failure 400,000 hour(s)
• Storage Hard Drive / Non-Recoverable Errors 1 per 10^14
• Start / Stop Cycles 40,000

• Storage Controller

• Type None

• Expansion / Connectivity

• Connections 1 x Storage - ATA-33 - 40 pin IDC
• Compatible Bays 1 x Internal - 3.5" x 1/3H
• Compatible Slots x None

• Power

• Power device type None

• Software / System Requirements

• Min Operating system None

• Manufacturer Warranty

• Service & support type 1 year warranty
• Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year - Bring-in

• Environmental Parameters

• Min operating temperature 41 °F
• Max operating temperature 131 °F
• Operating humidity range 8 - 90%
• Shock Tolerance 15 g @ 11ms half-sine pulse (operating) / 200 g @ 2ms half-sine pulse (non-operating)
• Vibration Tolerance 0.5 g @ 22-375 Hz (operating) / 5 g @ 22-375 Hz (non-operating)
• Max operating altitude 9840 ft

Seagate Technology

Manufacturer profile

• Website: http://www.seagate.com/
• Address: 920 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, CA. 95066
• Phone: 1-405-324-4700
• Fax: 1-405-324-4702